Bitter foods are usually good-for-you foods, which many people might find hard to swallow.

But Barb Stuckey would like people to give them a try.

After all, some bitter foods contain compounds that in small doses can stimulate you, fight colds and even help the battle against aging, said Stuckey, a food developer based in San Francisco and the author of Taste: Surprising Stories and Science About Why Food Tastes Good (Atria, $26).

“The taste of bitter is the taste of health,” she said, zeroing in on foods such as greens (think kale, radicchio, collards); coffee and tea; wine; and fruit (try citrus, pomegranates, cranberries, blueberries).

Of course, you have to be able to ingest the foods or beverages for them to have a positive effect.

“Most poisons taste bitter,” she explained. “So, if we have a choice, we will reject bitter foods. We are built to be suspicious.”

Humans sense bitterness from many things in order to avoid them at harmful levels, she added. Yet, served in the right amount, bitter foods can be both beneficial and even medicinal, Stuckey said.

Genetics play a role in whether a food tastes bitter or too bitter to you, but you can work to mitigate the bitterness, Stuckey said.

“When you scrunch up your face at bitterness, it’s likely that the bitterness is out of balance,” Stuckey writes in her book.

Hate Brussels sprouts? Balance the bitter flavor with a little salt, sugar, lemon juice or vinegar. Or mix in other vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, carrots or caramelized onions.

“The next time you make them, use fewer carrots and more sprouts,” Stuckey writes. “Eventually you’ll find yourself craving a bowlful — alone — specifically for the energizing, stimulating taste challenge that bitter provides.”